After elite acceptance, how do you re to "Any advice?" ... "How'd ya do it?"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My brother and I both went to the same top HYPM university (or whatever the hell that acronym is). My mom HATED this question.

If you're the parent, the only appropriate response is "They worked hard and were self-motivated." The fact that my father pushed the hell out of us was never mentioned, because, d'uh, if other parents were asking, they too either pushed their kids or were just making polite small-talk.

If you're the student -- something vague about how you're really lucky that you were accepted to your dream school.

And then shut up about it.

Of course, these were in the olden days when you didn't have to be perfect at absolutely everything academically and a nationally ranked athlete to get into a very good college.

you don't now a days either. Atleast for ivy league male soccer, you don't have to be a superstar in academics or in the USMNT youth player pool.

2100+ sat's, some ap's, and a strong academy player profile is good enough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid was accepted to Williams and Swarthmore. My favorite comment was "Oh, I never heard of those schools". Kept me humble.

Unless you hang with a lot of boarding school families, those aren’t gonna be on people’s radar.

Isn’t Williams the best liberal arts college in the country?

If spending $300K for a degree that will get you a 50K year job 6 months after graduation, if you are lucky. Then yes.

Williams has incredible financial aid. Better than most of the Ivies and 99% of colleges. PayScale puts mid-career salaries in the top 15 out of any college or university in the country. I think Williams graduates are doing just fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid was accepted to Williams and Swarthmore. My favorite comment was "Oh, I never heard of those schools". Kept me humble.

Unless you hang with a lot of boarding school families, those aren’t gonna be on people’s radar.

Isn’t Williams the best liberal arts college in the country?

If spending $300K for a degree that will get you a 50K year job 6 months after graduation, if you are lucky. Then yes.

Williams has incredible financial aid. Better than most of the Ivies and 99% of colleges. PayScale puts mid-career salaries in the top 15 out of any college or university in the country. I think Williams graduates are doing just fine.

That is because most of the kids that go are full pay. Elite privates and boarding school kids with a sprinkle of public school kids on FA

[Anonymous]

Not exactly a sprinkle when 55% of Williams students get aid averaging 52,000

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't worry about it. No one asks questions like this in real life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid was accepted to Williams and Swarthmore. My favorite comment was "Oh, I never heard of those schools". Kept me humble.

Unless you hang with a lot of boarding school families, those aren’t gonna be on people’s radar.

Isn’t Williams the best liberal arts college in the country?

If spending $300K for a degree that will get you a 50K year job 6 months after graduation, if you are lucky. Then yes.

Williams has incredible financial aid. Better than most of the Ivies and 99% of colleges. PayScale puts mid-career salaries in the top 15 out of any college or university in the country. I think Williams graduates are doing just fine.

That is because most of the kids that go are full pay. Elite privates and boarding school kids with a sprinkle of public school kids on FA

Is remarkable how comfortable some imbeciles are spouting off on subjects they know nothing about.

[Anonymous]

I am the pp whose child actually got into Williams. He did NOT receive $55,000. It was more like $15 (about 8 years ago).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am the pp whose child actually got into Williams. He did NOT receive $55,000. It was more like $15 (about 8 years ago).

What's your point? Your anecdote isn't typical. Williams's CDS is posted with all of the relevant financial aid numbers. https://provost.williams.edu/files/williams_cds_1718.pdf

87% of those who applied for aid got it, on average, $54,932, of which $51,773 was grant aid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not exactly a sprinkle when 55% of Williams students get aid averaging 52,000

Incorrect

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not exactly a sprinkle when 55% of Williams students get aid averaging 52,000

Incorrect

My numbers were slightly off, but it's 51% getting on average $55000. The proof is in the link cited above. The point is the same- that is not what I'd call a sprinkle. Williams spent 50 million dollars of its own money on institutional grant aid for a student body of ~2000 undergraduates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just give helpful advice. If I did ask, that means I would honestly want to know. I don't understand why some would be offended

With the exception of recruited athletes, kids who are admitted (and their parents) do not know why they were admitted. Asked for an explanation, most will, quite naturally, gravitate toward singing their own praises and citing attributes that they share with hundreds of kids who were NOT admitted to the same school. So, basically, not a useful source of information.

[Anonymous]

I think one thing everyone has to keep in mind is there is no one secret formula.

A top notch school can and will accepts a straight A 2300 SAT class treasurer goody two shoes the same day they might accept a B 2050 SAT scoring tuba player who has a penchant for playing board games and loves comic books.

BE YOURSELF and don't look for a ploy to get into a school you might belong in. THAT IS OBVIOUS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not exactly a sprinkle when 55% of Williams students get aid averaging 52,000

Incorrect

My numbers were slightly off, but it's 51% getting on average $55000. The proof is in the link cited above. The point is the same- that is not what I'd call a sprinkle. Williams spent 50 million dollars of its own money on institutional grant aid for a student body of ~2000 undergraduates.

51% is of those who apply for aid. Not the entire student body

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not exactly a sprinkle when 55% of Williams students get aid averaging 52,000

Incorrect

My numbers were slightly off, but it's 51% getting on average $55000. The proof is in the link cited above. The point is the same- that is not what I'd call a sprinkle. Williams spent 50 million dollars of its own money on institutional grant aid for a student body of ~2000 undergraduates.

51% is of those who apply for aid. Not the entire student body

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/williams-college-2229

50% of undergraduates at Williams receive some sort of need-based financial aid.

Again, I’m not sure why people continue to argue stupid, incorrect points when the facts are laid out clearly in front of them. I really don’t get it. This isn’t an opinion, it’s a fact: there are way more than a “sprinkle” of kids at Williams getting aid (unless you consider half to be a sprinkle).

[Anonymous]

You just say they are lucky OP. No big deal and then turn the question back as to how they are doing, etc.